A Satisfying Sequel

What I've been reading...

I just finished reading Life Everlasting, by Robert Whitlow, which is the sequel to Life Support. Actually, to call this a sequel is a bit of an understatement. It’s more like “Volume Two.”  Set in Santee, South Carolina, both books feature Alexia “Alex” Lindale, an up-and-coming divorce lawyer who finds her life, and her legal practice, dominated by her overbearing client, Rena Richardson.

We know, but Alex doesn’t, that Rena is slowly but surely going insane, and that she is guilty of trying to kill her husband, Baxter, by throwing him off a cliff. Throughout the first book, Baxter was lying in a coma, while Rena struggled to have life support removed before he might wake up and identify her as the attempted murderer she is. Working against her, unknowingly, was Ted Morgan, who is using music therapy to channel God’s healing power into Baxter’s paralyzed body. Ted, by the way, and Alex, are rapidly falling in love.

In Life Everlasting, Rena’s plans continue to unravel as Baxter begins to awaken. Alex tries to sort out her faith and her feelings for Ted. The police are closing in on the truth. And, a crime syndicate has its own reasons for wanting to cover up what really happened on the cliff.

I’ve got to say, while I enjoyed Life Support, I found Life Everlasting to be even more engaging. The characters have become far more complex and three-dimensional. The plot twists are more surprising, and the excitement continues to build throughout the story. The only disappointment is that the ending seems a bit contrived, as all the loose ends come together too quickly.

As I’ve mentioned before, I’ve not been much of a fan of Christian fiction, because too many authors put the religious content first and the story second. Whitlow successfully weaves faith into this legal thriller so that it become an integral part of the story, rather than an obligatory add on.

I recommend you read both books, in order. I’m glad I did. You can read more about it at www.christianbook.com.

The publisher, Thomas Nelson, provided me with a complimentary copy of this book.